Changes in the B-cell repertoire with age. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Changes in the B-cell repertoire during aging include a shift in antibody specificities from foreign to autologous antigens associated with a decline in the activity of conventional B2 compared to B1 lymphocytes. The age-associated increase in B1 lymphocyte number and activity contribute to the increased serum concentration of autoantibodies and the B-cell clonal expansions that develop with age. Aging is also associated with a decreased diversity of the antibody response reflected in the preferential loss of IgG and high affinity antibodies following immunization with a foreign antigen. Many of these changes can be traced to an impaired capacity of T cells to support isotype switching and somatic mutation in the periphery and the generation of a diverse B-cell repertoire from bone marrow B-cell precursors.

publication date

  • February 25, 2000

Research

keywords

  • Aging
  • B-Lymphocytes

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0033962638

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/s0264-410x(99)00497-1

PubMed ID

  • 10689139

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 18

issue

  • 16